- West Contra Costa Unified School District
- WCCUSD Highlights
- WCCUSD Highlights (Archive)
Grant Teacher Earns Fulbright to Study in Nigeria
Students at Grant Elementary School can boast that they have been taught by a Fulbright Scholar.
Grant Elementary School teacher Dr. Raymond Chimezie, who has promoted health education at schools in his local community as well as in Africa, is currently in Nigeria on a Fulbright scholarship in order to teach and conduct research on public health.
Chimezie left in July and will teach at a university and research solutions to the shortage of medical doctors in Nigeria, particularly in rural areas. His research will explore the introduction of advanced nurse practitioner program in the Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system.
“While there, I will be looking for collaboration with international organizations to help improve rural health education and reach out to schools,” Chimezie said in an interview with the Richmond Standard. “I have been supporting school health in the West Contra Costa Unified School District and intend to continue doing so in Nigeria.”
Dr. Chimezie has also used his expertise to benefit the students at Grant. One such program was the Behavioral Change Campaign. This program was to inform and to reduce the impact of cigarette smoking on young children, according to Principal Farnaz Heydari.
“When Dr. Chimezie announced he had received his Fulbright, as a community we were ecstatic for him as we knew his personal investment and passion for improving people’s access to healthcare would benefit the community he would serve as a Fulbright Scholar,” she said.
The year-long Fulbright is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.